Best free VPN for iPhone in 2025

VPN toggled on on an iPhone
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A virtual private network, or VPN, is the go-to tool for millions worldwide who use its privacy and security features to safeguard their data and their devices from snooping bad actors and cybercriminals. By hiding your IP address and encrypting your internet traffic, the best VPNs anonymize you on the internet and make it impossible for hackers, ISPs, and government authorities to track your online activities.

Getting a free VPN is often the first thought of those new to VPNs who would like to get to know the service and ascertain whether or not they need a VPN for their iPhone in the first place. While a free service is great for trial purposes—and some of the best ones come with unlimited data, tens of servers, and even unblocking capabilities—they are still miles behind their premium counterparts.

Additionally, the chances of a free VPN logging and selling your data or infesting your device with malware are a lot higher than if you just got the cheapest VPN on the market. However, there are some reliable free VPN providers as well that you can install on your iPhone right now and enjoy basic protection along with plenty of extra useful features. Read on to find out what they are, what purposes they serve, and if a free VPN is going to cut it for you.

Best VPNs for iOS in 2025 - paid for services

Even the best free VPNs are limited in their offerings—because they want to entice you with upgrades so that you ultimately switch to a paid plan for more benefits. Considering this, and given that you would actually need one of the best VPNs for iPhone if you are serious about protecting your device and your digital privacy, it makes so much more sense to sign up for a premium service from day one.

The best part is that you can get a paid-for VPN service for free by using its money-back guarantee. These are usually around 30 days, meaning you will have ample time to try out the service without putting any money on the line. Plus, ‘premium’ VPNs are premium in their offerings and not necessarily their pricing—you can get one of the best cheap VPNs for less than $3 a month!

On that note, here are my top three iOS VPN recommendations:

1. NordVPN: The best iPhone VPN in 2025

1. NordVPN: from $3.09 per month
The best iPhone VPN in 2025
NordVPN is the best VPN for iPads and iPhones, thanks to its comprehensive package, which includes built-in antivirus, ad blocking, a data breach scanner, and a password manager.

With more servers than ExpressVPN and Surfshark and world-class unblocking capabilities, Nord is the best streaming VPN I've tested. It's also the fastest service, easy to use, and cheaper than ExpressVPN—and has a 30-day money-back guarantee that will allow you to try it out risk-free before committing.

2. Surfshark: The best cheap iPhone VPN

2. Surfshark: from $1.99 per month
The best cheap iPhone VPN
Surfshark is the best choice for iPhone users on a tight budget, but despite that, its feature set can put to shame some of the most premium providers. You get outrageous speeds, reliable security, and unlimited simultaneous connections, as well as servers in a hundred countries.

Although it lacks Express and Nord's advanced tools, everything else from unblocking powers to ease of use to device compatibility is top-notch. Be sure to make the most of its 30-day money-back guarantee to see if you'd like to stick with it long-term.

2. ExpressVPN: The iPhone VPN app for beginners

2. ExpressVPN: from $4.99 per month
The iPhone VPN app for beginners
ExpressVPN is a great VPN for both beginners and VPN veterans, with an intuitive and feature-packed iOS app that comes with rock-solid privacy features, excellent encryption, and blazing speeds. It also boasts one of the largest networks of servers, strong unblocking capabilities, and friendly 24/7 support.

While it's not as cheap as NordVPN or Surfshark, you can put ExpressVPN to the test with a 30-day money-back guarantee and see for yourself why we rate it so highly.

Recent updates

After our most recent round of VPN testing, Surfshark has risen to second in our rankings for paid services. Our free services are currently undergoing another round of testing, so there's a chance for a shake-up in the near future.

The best free VPNs for iPhone in 2025

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The best free iPhone VPN overall

PrivadoVPN Free VPN running on various devices

(Image credit: PrivadoVPN)

1. PrivadoVPN Free

The best free iPhone VPN

Available on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Data limit: 10GB at full speed, then unlimited via a single 1Mbps location | Servers: 13 | Locations: 10 | Simultaneous connections: 1

Unlimited data, with 10GB at full speed
Unblocks all popular streaming sites
Blazing fast connection speeds
Mobile apps are basic at best
Not independently audited

In our full PrivadoVPN review, we mention how despite being a relatively new entrant in the VPN industry (launched in 2019), PrivadoVPN has continually improved and added to its services to become a well-known provider—and its free version is right at the heart of its popularity with an impressive feature-set and security benefits.

PrivadoVPN Free is not only the number one free VPN for iPhones but also the best free VPN overall, displacing the previous #1 Proton VPN, as it is one of the only services that can reliably unblock the entire suite of streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer—others like Windscribe and Atlas VPN Free can bypass some but not all of them.

Try PrivadoVPN: the best free VPN

The best for digital privacy

Proton VPN interface for mobile and desktop VPN apps

(Image credit: Proton VPN)

2. Proton VPN Free

Unlimited data allowance and top-notch digital privacy

Available on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Data limit: Unlimited | Servers: 3 | Locations: 3 | Simultaneous connections: 1

Unlimited data allowance
Excellent speeds
Top-notch privacy features
No streaming support
No P2P or Secure Core servers
Limited server locations

Proton VPN is one of the most secure VPNs on the market right now and the same Swiss-backed privacy and reliability is what you get with its free plan as well. For starters, it offers open-source apps on all platforms whether that’s iOS, Android, Windows, or Mac.

Plus, all its apps have been independently audited by third-party experts—and security essentials like rock-solid encryption, a kill switch, and a no-logging policy, too, are all available on all its free apps, including the iPhone VPN app, and they work as expected.

In our review of Proton VPN Free, we mention how its biggest advantage over PrivadoVPN Free and the rest of the competition is that it doesn’t come with any data limits.

So, while PrivadoVPN limits you to just 10GB of data per month, Proton VPN allows you to use its always-on VPN feature for what it’s actually built i.e. connect once and enjoy 24/7 protection—you don’t have to keep tabs on your VPN usage so as not to exhaust it. Moreover, the service is anything but sluggish, with lightning-fast speeds of 380Mbps.

Sign up to Proton VPN Free Now

Free iPhone VPN with most servers

Windscribe iPhone VPN

(Image credit: Windscribe)

3. Windscribe Free

Powerful and secure with generous streaming support

Available on: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS | Data limit: 10GB | Servers: 14 | Locations: 11 | Simultaneous connections: Unlimited

Unlimited simultaneous connections
Unblocks UK Netflix and BBC iPlayer
Free VPN with the most number of servers
Limited data strangles usefulness
Not as fast as others
Only 10GB data

Windscribe is a popular VPN service from Canada with a decent paid version. However, the party piece is its free plan that comes with good privacy, excellent unblocking, and useful extra features.

When drafting our full Winscribe Free review, we were seriously impressed by its staggering 14 server locations in 11 countries—an excellent showing that’s better than every other provider on our list. The only other service that comes close to challenging Windscribe Free’s list of servers is Proton VPN with 13 locations in 10 countries.

Check out Windscribe for free

Other free iPhone VPNs we've tried and recommend

Hotspot Shield Free VPN on multiple devices

(Image credit: Hotspot Shield)

4. Hotspot Shield Basic VPN

Absolutely no data limits, but look out for the ads

Available on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux | Data limit: Unlimited | Servers: 1 | Locations: 1 | Simultaneous connections: 1

Unlimited data allowance
Simple and easy to use
Decent speeds
Ads and popup pages
Only 1 server location
No kill switch

Hotspot Shield Basic might not be as comprehensive as the three providers above but it is still free and offers a few but very likable features. This is also true for the paid Hotspot Shield package, which is decent but lags behind the competition.

As we concluded in our full Hotspot Shield VPN review, its biggest advantage is that it comes with unlimited data—so, you can scroll TikTok, watch high-definition YouTube videos, and/or send large files on your iPhone without worrying about exhausting your data.

Try Hotspot Shield Basic for yourself

How to pick a free VPN for iPhone

Figuring out which VPN is right for you is a subjective process that hinges on one key question: what are you going to use your VPN for? Folks after a reliable streaming VPN will have different priorities than those looking for a torrenting-friendly provider, after all, but there are a few universal criteria to keep in mind.

These include:

Security: not all free VPNs are created equal and some low-ranking and unscrupulous providers can log your data and sell it to third parties for a profit. This is why it is crucial to only pick providers with a clear-cut no-logs policy, a reliable kill switch, and strong encryption—and it’s good to have extras such as split tunneling and port forwarding as well.

Number of servers: look for a VPN that offers a generous amount of servers in several countries on its free plan. In particular, prioritize those that have servers in regions of your choice, as free VPNs are often limited in this regard.

Speed: while you certainly cannot expect a free VPN to compete with the fastest VPNs, connections should be both consistent and speedy enough for most activities whether that’s everyday browsing or streaming in HD.

Bandwidth: one of the major considerations when shopping for a free VPN is the amount of data you get. If you want unlimited data, providers such as Proton VPN Free and Hotspot Shield Basic will be ideal choices.

Unblocking capabilities: very few free VPN services can reliably unblock streaming sites. If you want to watch foreign movies and TV shows for free, you’d be better off with PrivadoVPN, Windscribe, and Atlas VPN, in that order.

How we test free iPhone VPNs

We follow our comprehensive VPN testing methodology to cut through the myriad of options on the market and zero in on only the best free iPhone VPNs. Our testing starts at the provider's website where we look for clues to gauge how reliable the service is. This includes looking for and thoroughly reading the VPN's privacy policy, any claims it makes, and its support options.

Then we install the provider's free VPN apps on various platforms (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux) and put them through intensive real-world testing where we check the working of essential security features such as kill switch and leak protection—as well as any other feature on offer, such as split tunneling and/or auto-connect.

User experience is a big one for us, so we check the apps for any ads, clutter, and design shortfalls. Then we try to connect/disconnect to every single server location on offer by the free VPN to evaluate if the service lives up to its claims.

Next, we test the VPN’s speeds at least 120 times by using a US home connection and a 1Gbps UK data center. Lastly, to check the truthfulness of free VPNs that claim to unblock streaming sites, we try to access geo-blocked content from big-name streaming sites including Netflix, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video.

FAQs

Can a free VPN for iPhone be trusted?

There's always a risk when it comes to free VPNs. Most services are free versions of premium products that lock their best features (like security tools, unlimited bandwidth, and unblocking power) behind paid plans. Then, you have free services that are little more than scams, logging your data to sell to unscrupulous third parties.

At TechRadar, we're always testing VPNs – free or otherwise – to make sure that they're living up to their privacy claims.

Is there a totally free VPN for iPhone?

PrivadoVPN, Proton VPN, Windscribe, Hotspot Shield, and Atlas VPN are some of the most trustworthy providers that offer completely free VPN apps for iPhone. You can use their free plan for as long as you want. They do not cost a single penny—and they don't ask for your credit card details, either.

What is the safest VPN for iPhone?

NordVPN is the most secure VPN overall and right now the safest VPN you can install on your iPhone. In addition to security essentials like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, a no-logs policy, and support for secure VPN protocols, Nord also comes with Double VPN (that routes your connection through two separate VPN servers) and Onion over VPN (so you can access the Tor network without having to download the Tor browser).

Additionally, all of its VPN apps, including the iOS app, come with built-in ad-blocking, malware protection, a password manager, as well as a data breach scanner for an added layer of security. Other safe iPhone VPNs include ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, and Private Internet Access (PIA).

Do iPhones have a built in VPN?

No, the iPhone doesn't have a built-in VPN. It does come with VPN settings, however, that help you configure a VPN that you build yourself (which is pretty tricky) or download via a third party (like all of my top picks).

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Rob Dunne
VPN Editor

Rob is TechRadar's VPN Editor. Coming from a background in phones and technology, he's no stranger to the risks that come with putting yourself online. Over years of engaging with different platforms, testing the limits of his online persona, and feeling the brunt of several data breaches, Rob has come to gain a keen understanding of cybersecurity and the benefits of services such as VPNs in providing a secure online experience. He uses this to not only advise on the best ways to stay secure online but also share his own experiences and especially how to avoid trouble. Outside of work, you'll find Rob on the tennis courts, in the gym, or diving into the biggest and best games of the year.